I wont harm you Cosette
by BrandonMichelle
Summary: Valjean comforts Cosette for the first time. One shot, Novel verse based fic. I've changed Cosettes age to 6 in this story because someone mistakenly told me that Cosette was 6 before i read the book and it just stuck with me. I'm not sure if some of the dialogue is right for a little kid but i did my best. Enjoy!


**I won't harm you Cosette**

It was Christmas morning, Valjean had rescued Cosette from the Thenardiers mere hours ago and was now resting with the girl in the woods, it had been a long journey for the both of them already.

Cosette still didn't know who her saviour was and why he was being so nice to her but there just seemed to be something about him she could trust, perhaps it was only because he was the first person she could remember who had ever shown her kindness. She still didn't know what to say to the nice man so she remained silent. Valjean was also quiet; neither of them really seemed to know what to do.

Valjean was sitting on the ground with his back against a tree, Cosette sat beside him looking at the ground, he wanted to put his arm around the girl but he wasn't sure if he should just yet. This was a very difficult situation they were both in.

Instead of doing anything he got some bread out of his knapsack and broke a piece off to give to Cosette.

"You should eat" Valjean said and handed her the bread.

"Thank you monsieur" Cosette said quietly as she took the bread.

Valjean noticed the way Cosette ate, it was fast and ungraceful. She ate as if she thought someone was going to take the food from her so it had to be done quickly.

"_There will be time to teach her manners"_ Valjean thought, "_for now she just needs to adjust to a new life, a better life I hope"._

Valjean then took a flask of water out of the bag and handed it to the little girl

"Thank you monsieur" she said again and took a drink.

Valjean noticed how she still called him Monsieur, he didn't want her to do that but didn't know how to tell her any different just yet, he also noticed that she spent a lot of time looking at the ground, a reflex perhaps from years of abuse.

Valjean then realised that he hadn't seen the girls face properly in the daylight yet.

"Cosette?" Valjean said "Would you mind standing up? I want to see what you look like".

Cosette did as she was told and stood up, Valjean took one of her hands and placed her directly in front of him so he could get a proper look at her, she was so tiny even for a six year old, _most likely from years of being starved_ he thought, but she was very beautiful.

He reached out to touch her face, Cosette backed away ever so slightly, she was still obviously very scared of being hurt, even though Valjean had been nice to her it was hard for Cosette not to think that someone was going to hurt her

"I won't harm you Cosette", Valjean said, "I just want to look at you".

Cosette still looked apprehensive and unsure of what this man wanted from her, but there was something about him that made her want to trust him.

Please? Valjean said softly

He looked Cosette in the eyes as he said please and she knew by his look that this man meant no harm to her so she gave the slightest of nods as if to tell him it was alright.

He touched her face with his hands; he gently turned her head to one side for a moment and then the other, as if he was inspecting her. She still had a faint bruise over her left eye where someone had punched her.

He sighed, this made him angry but he tried not to show it in his face.

"_Bastards_" he thought "_how could someone hurt a child like that_?"

"Does your eye hurt?" he asked the girl.

"No Monsieur, not anymore" Cosette replied.

"That's good" he said.

He removed his hands from her face and took her little hands into his own, he was being very gentle with the girl, he looked at the back of her hands first and then turned her hands over to look at the other side inspecting them like he did with her face. They were so very small and red and they were covered in chilblains, this made him angry as well.

"_Bastards_" he thought once again but this time he accidently said the word out loud as well, there was anger in his voice that he hadn't wanted to show the child.

Cosette was slightly shocked by this as the man had seemed so gentle before, Valjean could tell by her face that she was starting to get a bit worried by his behaviour.

"I'm sorry Cosette, I shouldn't have said that, please don't be afraid." Valjean said softly, he still had her hands in his own and he began stroking the backs of her hands to again show her he meant no harm to her.

Valjean looked into the childs eyes again and smiled softly.

"You have your mothers eyes" Valjean said without realising it, he didn't think it was appropriate to talk about her mother just yet, but he had already said too much and now knew there was going to be some difficult questions to answer.

Cosette also didn't know how to respond to the nice mans compliment, but there was a need inside of her to know about her mother.

"Did you know my mother Monsieur?" Cosette asked

"I did" Valjean replied, he still had his hands on Cosettes all this time

"What happened to her?" asked Cosette

Valjean didn't know how to answer, this was a six year old little girl he had in front of him who was already broken from years of abuse, how could he tell her the truth and break her heart even more? Valjean thought however it might be best just to be honest with her and try to be as gentle as possible.

"I'm sorry Cosette…she died" Valjean said regretfully

Cosettes eyes welled up as she nodded slightly and looked down, as if she knew what the answer was going to be already, Valjean placed one of his hands on her head to offer her some comfort.

"She was very sick, and very weak Cosette, she went peacefully though, I swear."

Cosette looked up again, her eyes were glistening but she wasn't crying fully yet, there was more she needed to know right now.

"Monsieur, why did she leave me?" Cosette asked

Valjean screwed up his eyes for a few seconds and thought that this might be the hardest thing he's ever done. He didn't feel qualified to answer these questions but he also felt he owed this little girl an explanation, so he told the girl what he thought was right.

"She thought she was doing what was best for you Cosette, she thought she could trust those people, she had no idea they would hurt you. She never wanted to leave you Cosette, but she couldn't look after you on her own, she loved you Cosette, she really did sweetheart. When she was dying she spoke about you all the time, she wanted you with her, I tried to bring you to her but it was already too late, I tried Cosette, I really did try.

As he said that last part he brought Cosettes hands to his lips and kissed them, he could feel himself starting to well up but he wanted to stay strong for the child and kept himself together, it was hard though as he looked at Cosette and noticed that tears were falling down her face, she was looking at the ground again as if she was ashamed of crying.

"Cosette, said Valjean softly, look at me" He put one of his hands gently under her chin and raised her head so she was looking at him and then placed her hands back into his again.

"It's alright to be sad Cosette, and it's alright to cry" Valjean said, "but I'm here now, and I'm going to look after you, I'm going to be your daddy Cosette, will you call me daddy?"

Cosette nodded but she could hardly believe the words Valjean was saying to her, _Is this man really my father? _she thought_,_ Cosette felt very confused and a bit scared.

"I know this is hard for you Cosette, and I know you've been hurt, but I promise you, no one's ever going to hurt you again", Valjean was kissing the little girls hands again as he said this, "I promise you that Cosette, I promise".

That was it for Cosette, a gate had been opened and the tears were falling fast down her little face, she said only one word before she broke down completely, she said "Daddy" through her tears and then fell against Valjeans chest.

Valjean simply threw his arms around the little girl and let her cry, he knew that this had been building for a long time and this was all he could do to comfort her at this moment.

Cosette continued to cry hard, she was crying for three reasons: Grief at the loss of the mother she had never known, relief at the knowledge that she was never going to be hurt at the hands of the Thenardiers again and most of all she was crying because of happiness. Happiness because she had found a father, a father who would love her and protect her forever.

Valjean ran his hands through Cosettes hair as she continued sobbing.

"It's alright Cosette, Daddy's here" he said quietly.

Valjean sat there in the woods with that little girl for no one knows how long, it could have been mere minutes or it could have been hours, it didn't matter. He just sat there and held that child until she had gotten it all out, and during all that time he felt two things, he felt sorrow for Cosette for everything she had been through, but he also felt that this was wonderful, it was wonderful to be there for the child, it was wonderful to hold her, and most of all he felt how wonderful it was to suddenly have become a father, and that was his job from now on, to hold her, protect her and to be her father.

**The End**


End file.
